Volume 1

Catalogue of the anatomical and pathological preparations of Dr. William Hunter; prepared by J.H. Teacher.

  • Hunterian Museum (University of Glasgow)
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Catalogue of the anatomical and pathological preparations of Dr. William Hunter; prepared by J.H. Teacher. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    49/488 (page 41)
    the lymphatics to the lacteals, and from the fact, which he first explained, that the path by which morbid poisons absorbed from ulcers, abrasions, or tumours entered the blood was through the lymphatics (jis was demonstrated by the red inflamed streaks following the course of these vessels and the involvement of the nearest lymphatic glands), he argued that they and the glands were a complete system in themselves distinct from the blood- vascular system, but supplementary to it, inasmuch as they returned all the lymph and everything else that they absorbed to the veins by way of the thoracic duct. The fluid (lymph) which moistened all the cavities of the body, and which formed what he called the interstitial fluid of the tissues, he believed to escape from the blood- vessels, not by exhalent orifices ( exhalent arteries ) which nobody could demonstrate, but as a transudation of the thinner parts of our fluids from their (the vessel walls) not being quite close in their texture; transudation meaning practically filtration under pressure. So far he was substantially right; but the rest of the theory, viz. that the lymphatics were the only means by which absorption was performed, was wrong. Inhalent orifices of veins could not be demonstrated; that the lymphatic veins are a system of absorbents has been proved; that the sanguiferous veins are fur- nished with inhalent branches for the same purpose has been supposed; but Nature would hardly form two systems for the same operation. Such a supposition is inconsistent with the simplicity, uniformity, and perfection of her works. ^ Such was his argument. To prove it John Hunter, at William's suggestion, performed some experiments on living animals, which proved that the lacteals did absorb from the intestines, and were supposed to prove that the veins did not. But the premises of these experiments were defective; the experiments themselves were not sufficiently exhaustive. That they were not absolutely conclusive William Hunter allowed. If we except poisons, other matters absorbed into the body cannot be traced so as to say whether they are absorbed and conveyed into the mass of blood through the lym- phatics or through the veins, as mercury or oil of turpentine. But if we take poisons which stimulate the passages [e.g., the venereal poison or poison from a septic wound] through which they are conveyed into the body as they go along, and thus enable us to trace them, we shall find they are conveyed by the lymphatics, ' CommentarieH, p. 96, footnote.